Nuclear Issues: German MPs slam France's UAE nuclear deal

France's proposed nuclear cooperation with the UAE has been criticised by top German politicians.

In an interview with for Sunday's edition of Tagesspiegel newspaper, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee, Ruprecht Polenz said, "I am very irritated that France wants to press ahead with the expansion of civilian atomic energy in the (Persian Gulf) region."

Werner Hoyer of the liberal Free Democrats pointed to previous French nuclear agreements with oil-rich Arab countries like Libya and Algeria. Hoyer said that this policy did not correspond with the "image of a responsible export policy which always keeps an eye on the proliferation risk."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy recently visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE where he signed a civilian nuclear accord with Abu Dhabi.